PRINTED IN U. S. A.
PENNY UTTERED A LITTLE CRY
“Signal in the Dark” ([See Page 195])
CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE [1 HELP WANTED] 1 [2 EXPLOSION!] 10 [3 SPECIAL ASSIGNMENT] 18 [4 THE MISSING PLATES] 26 [5 SHADOW ON THE SKYLIGHT] 35 [6 BEN’S STORY] 44 [7 MAN OVERBOARD!] 52 [8 A SWINGING CHAIN] 61 [9 THE METAL DISC] 69 [10 COUNTRY SKIES] 79 [11 A FAMILIAR CAR] 87 [12 THE PROFESSOR’S HELPER] 96 [13 BEHIND OFFICE DOORS] 104 [14 A NOTE FROM BEN] 112 [15 THE DEMONSTRATION] 120 [16 SUSPICION] 128 [17 MAJOR BRYAN] 137 [18 A SECOND TEST] 144 [19 THE LANTERN SIGNAL] 153 [20 A CROOK EXPOSED] 161 [21 IN SEARCH OF WEBB] 170 [22 SALT’S MISSING CAMERA] 178 [23 ESCAPE BY NIGHT] 184 [24 A RAID ON THE Snark] 192 [25 PICTURE PROOF] 200
CHAPTER
1
HELP WANTED
“The situation is getting worse instead of better, Penny. Three of our reporters are sick, and we’re trying to run the paper with only a third of our normal editorial staff.” Anthony Parker, publisher of the Riverview Star, whirled around in the swivel chair to face his daughter who sat opposite him in the private office of the newspaper. “Frankly, I’m up against it,” he added gloomily.
Penny, a slim girl with deep, intelligent blue eyes, uncurled herself from the window ledge. Carefully, she dusted her brown wool skirt which had picked up a cobweb and streaks of dirt.
“You could use a janitor around here too,” she hinted teasingly. “How about hiring me?”
“As queen of the dustmop brigade?”